Men's Lacrosse | 5/2/2012 2:04:00 PM

ROCHESTER, NY -- Eight members of the RIT men's lacrosse team were named to the 2011 Liberty League Men's Lacrosse All-Conference team, which was announced by the league on Wednesday. Senior Tyler Russell (Livonia, NY/Livonia) was named 2012 Liberty League Player of the Year, while freshman Brendan MacDonald (Georgetown, Ontario/Trinity-Pawling) was the 2012 Rookie of the Year.

Russell, and fellow seniors Jordan Collins-Hartwig (Buffalo, NY/Clarence) and Eric Horeth (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) were first team selections. MacDonald and senior midfielder Alex Crepinsek (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) were second team selections, while Anthony DeLeo (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy), Taylor Wisman (Seattle, WA/Inglemoor), Elliott Cowburn (Oakville, ON/Holy Trinity) and #A.J. Tingle# were honorable mention picks.

Russell leads RIT and is third in the conference in scoring with 42 points on 37 goals and five assists, averaging 2.93 points per game. The senior attack leads the league averaging 2.64 goals per game, and in six conference games, he recorded 11 goals and three assists. Russell, a 2011 USILA honorable mention All-American, has scored at least one goal in 12-of-14 games this season, tallying a season high six goals versus Brockport back in March. He became the 14th player in program history to record 100 career goals in a game versus Ithaca in April. He has 112 career goals, which is tied for eighth all time at RIT. Russell has scored 106 of his 112 career goals in the last two seasons, including a school record 69 in 2011.

MacDonald is second on the team in scoring with 39 points on 27 goals and 12 assists. His three game winning goals are tied for the team lead. MacDonald was a four time Liberty League Rookie of the Week selection in 2012, and tied for fourth in conference play, averaging 1.83 goals per game. MacDonald is tied for fourth in conference play averaging 2.67 points per game, and is tied for fifth overall in scoring, averaging 2.86 points per game.

Eric Horeth (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) has started and played in all 14 games this season for the Tigers. The senior defenseman has helped RIT's defense hold opponents to 7.80 goals per game overall, and 6.72 goals per game in conference play. Horeth, a 2011 All-Empire 8 second team selection, leads the team with 25 caused turnovers and has 35 ground balls on the season.

Collins-Hartwig is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 31 points on 22 goals and nine assists. He scored a career high six goals, all coming in the second half, in a 10-6 win over Union to help vault the Tigers into first place in the conference and earning Liberty League Player of the Week honors on April 18. Collins-Hartwig, a 2011 All-Empire 8 honorable mention selection, tied for eighth in the league, averaging 1.57 goals per game, and has 94 career points. 

Crepinsek has started and played in all 14 games for the Tigers this season. The senior midfielder has helped RIT's defense hold opponents to 7.80 goals per game overall, and 6.72 goals per game in conference play. Crepinsek has nine points on two goals and seven assists this season, and is third on the team with 47 ground balls.

Cowburn has started and played in 12 games this season for the Tigers. The junior defenseman has helped RIT's defense hold opponents to 7.80 goals per game overall, and 6.72 goals per game in conference play. Cowburn is second on the team with nine caused turnovers and has 17 ground balls. He had two caused turnovers and two ground balls in 15-5 win over St. Lawrence last Saturday.

Wisman is third on the team in scoring with 38 points on 14 goals and 24 assists. His 24 assists lead the team, and second in the conference, averaging 1.71 assists per game. Wisman led the team in conference scoring with 17 points on six goals and 11 assists in six conference games, and tied for second in conference play averaging 2.83 points per game. He tallied a season best five points on a goal and four assists in a win at St. Lawrence last Saturday.

Tingle has scored at least one point in all 14 games this season, tallying a career-high five goals last Saturday at St. Lawrence. He is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 31 points on 19 goals and 12 assists. The senior attack recorded 14 points in six conference games this season, including 11 goals, and he leads the team with two man-down goals.

DeLeo was second in conference games with a 6.41 goals against average and finished third in conference play with a .617 save percentage. The sophomore goalie has played in all 14 games, starting 13 and has an 11-2 record on the season. DeLeo made double-digit saves in 8-of-14 games this season, including a career-high 16 stops in a win over #11 Union back on April 18.

RIT finished the regular season 12-2 overall and shared the Liberty League regular season title with Union finishing with 5-1 in conference play. The Tigers earned the top seed in the tournament by way of a victory over Union in the regular season. The Tigers will host Clarkson University in the Liberty League Tournament semifinals on Friday, May 4 at 4 pm. The winner will face the winner between Union and St. Lawrence in the championship game on Sunday, May 6 at 12 pm.